Curiosity Didn't Exactly 'Kill' the Cat
by DemonHipsterChick
Summary: When young Willow Summers stumbles upon a mysterious collapsed tunnel near the outskirts of her town, well, she just has to investigate it! But when she discovers the horrors held within it, will she continue to return? Or do her best to forget? Pride
1. Chapter 1: Fear

I know the tags are 'horror' and 'mystery'…but if you've read any of my other stories…you can infer that there will probably be some sort of friendship and/or romance later on. :P I'm just sayin'.

**Chapter One: Fear**

"So this is the entrance to the collapsed tunnel…neat!" Willow Summers said to herself as she inspected the rubble before her. There was caution tape all around the wreckage that warned passersby not to go any further. Pfft! As if she, Willow Summers, self proclaimed adventurer of the highest caliber, was going to take advice from some silly yellow plastic! There was no way she was going to pass up the chance to explore something as intriguing as a mysterious tunnel.

And mysterious it was! It had collapsed unexpectedly as a few sheep headers from her town were out walking near it. No one could figure out why it was there…or who had made it. It was deemed a strange and potentially dangerous occurrence, and was proclaimed off limits to all town folk. Most people would grow worried and listen to the warnings…but not Willow.

She had heard the news whispered from grownup to grownup around the town before actually being told about it personally. She had grown more curious every time it was mentioned around her, and was just itching to go check it out. There had to be some reason for its existence…an entire tunnel wasn't something 'random'. Her parents told her _not_ to go near it _no matter what, _knowing full well that she would attempt to get a closer look. She nodded and promised not to do anything stupid…all the while with her fingers crossed behind her back. She knew she was being reckless, and her parents would kill her if they caught her sneaking out of the house, but it was in her nature to be adventurous! She took pride in her fearless and brave attitude that even outshined most of the boys in her class. No offense to her beloved mom and dad, but there was no way she was going to let this phenomenon go unnoticed.

Willow hastily looked around herself a few times to make sure no one was around to see her. Satisfied that she wasn't going to be scolded out of nowhere by anyone before even going in, she dropped down into the underground space. She landed, feet first, with only mild stumbling. Brushing herself off, she quickly lit her lantern and stomped on the match to make sure it was out.

"Wow…this place is even cooler than I thought it would be!" she said aloud. She spun in a circle and shined the light; taking in all the crumbling dirt walls around herself. It appeared that she was in a small sub tunnel that connected to the larger main one. Eagerly, she walked down the length of the little tunnel until she saw the opening into the larger one. She stopped at the edge and peered before her.

She wasn't sure why…but all of a sudden a feeling of nervousness washed over her. She swallowed hard and narrowed her hazel eyes into the shadows. There was no way she was backing down now…she had never gotten scared before like this on any of her other expeditions! Then again, she had never had the chance to uncover something this big; but that was all the more reason to pine on! Regretfully, nothing all that interesting ever happened in her small town of Mare. This seemed like something she could really brag about and enjoy! She had returned home unscathed after all her other endeavors…so why would this time be any different? It wouldn't.

"Don't be a baby!" she scolded herself. She took a breath and boldly jumped down from the slight elevation into the main tunnel. She gasped quietly as she realized the sheer size of the space around here. Perhaps the sub-tunnel was something dug by her fellow villagers in an attempt to investigate before they got freaked out. It paled in comparison to this!

"Wow…" she breathed as she made her way a bit farther along the tunnel. "This thing must go on forever!"

Even with the lantern light it was nearly pitch black. Willow had never seen any big deal about the dark. Many of her fellow children confessed to or nervously denied the fear…but she had never thought it all that scary. If something bad was going to happen, why only in the dark? What was to stop it from happening in broad daylight instead? There was nothing worse about nighttime…

Willow bit her lip as she thought hard; continuing her journey into the tunnel. She had made her way inside…but now what? She hadn't seen anything that hinted at its reason for creation yet…just lots of shadows and dirt. And what could have possibly made it so tall? Some sort of machine? No person should be that big…

It was actually quite cold underground, and Willow hugged her skinny frame in an attempt to stay warm. Her thin black and white striped tee shirt, shorts and black sandals didn't help in the matter.

"I should have brought a sweater…" she thought; longing for the warmth provided by her favorite grey hoodie. She blew a few stray strands of her auburn hair from her face as she came to a stop. She thought she heard something…no! She _had_ heard something.

She scrunched her eyes shut and listened hard. There it was again! It sounded like…slithering? Snakes? She wasn't _afraid_ of the scaly little creatures…but she didn't like them either. She continued standing still and craning her neck as she tried to discern what she was hearing.

It definitely sounded like a smooth kind of slithery noise…but it sounded far too large to be a snake. It didn't sound too far off either…but what on earth could it be?

Images of a giant snake slithering around underground flooded her mind. Perhaps that was how the tunnel had happened…but that was preposterous! Right?

Willow felt herself grow uneasy. "Calm down…there's nothing to fear!" she told herself. She sounded too unsure though…and her statement quickly began to resemble a comforting lie. As the sound continued, it got louder. Whatever was making it was coming closer. Willow stiffened as she felt the hairs on the back of her neck begin to stand on end. A horrid, heavy feeling fell over her. Whatever was making its way towards her was giving off some really bad energy…

Willow couldn't remember the last time she had felt this frightened. She gulped as a cold sweat beaded her brow. Whatever was going on here…she didn't like it. As much as she still felt the need to investigate, something inside was screaming at her to run back.

"I…I can't just give up!" she thought. "I haven't done anything significant yet and…" before she could finish her thought the slithering noise sounded loudly near her, then silenced. The terrible feeling strengthened as Willow felt her heart stop.

Cautiously, she turned a full three-sixty around herself; lantern held out like some sort of protective talisman...or a death weapon. Whatever she was more likely to need. Nothing appeared to be there…what was going on? Was she going crazy and hearing things or something?

Even though she couldn't see anything out of the ordinary, she kept her guard up. Just because she couldn't see it, whatever _it_ was, didn't mean it wasn't there. She had learned her lesson on the subject of seemingly invisible attackers when she had been pecked at and chased away by one of her neighbor's chickens. She had climbed the fence to get a ball she had accidently kicked over, not even seeing the little bugger until it was too late.

Willow had the horrible feeling that this was not just an angry farm animal…but something much, _much_ more terrifying.

Gathering up every available ounce of courage she possessed, the young girl called out into the darkness. "H-hello? Is anyone out there?"

She awaited a response. Every moment of continued silence was agonizing.

"Well…I guess I was just imagining it…" she thought sheepishly. She lifted her right foot the begin walking once more, but stopped dead as laughter sounded all around her.

The harsh sound bounced and echoed every which way in the cavernous space, making it hard to tell exactly where it was coming from. A strangled scream caught roughly in Willow's throat as she whipped around.

A sight like none she had ever seen, or even imagined, met her gaze. A large, black mass covered the dirt walls as it seemed to slither across them all around her. Despite just looking like a big shadow, it was covered in large red eyes and multiple mouths wide enough to swallow her whole.

"Well, what have we here? What might a tiny thing like you be doing down here so late?" said a booming, metallic voice. The voice seemed to come from the massive shadow itself. "Humans like you aren't supposed to know about this tunnel…that idiot Sloth must have dug too close to the surface here."

Willow had no idea what the thing was talking about or how shadows could actually speak. She didn't want to stick around and find out either. Apparently, even her seemingly insatiable curiosity had its limits…and now they had just been set.

She stumbled back a bit, fumbling and nearly dropping her lantern in the process. She tried to turn on her heel and run, but fear combined with the shadow's voice froze her once again.

"You're going to run? I don't blame you…but do you think I can just let you get away like that?" the shadows asked. "I think not." They finished cruelly.

Willow could sense an attack coming and finally forced herself to move. She bolted back the way she came as fast as her scrawny legs would carry her. She could hear the rush of the slithering shadows behind her as she sprinted towards the exit. Fear and adrenaline pumped through her at the terrifying sound and knowledge that if she were to fall, she would surely be killed.

"Get back here!" the voice demanded virulently.

Willow tired not to pay attention as she saw the opening coming up. Thank goodness she had managed to hold onto the lantern the whole time. If she had been running in the darkness; she was sure her chances of survival would have been much lower.

Finally, when the exit was only mere feet away, Willow tossed herself forward. She dove up into the sub-tunnel roughly, scraping her exposed arms and legs as she went. She tried to get up, but found that her legs wobbled under her weight like they were made of jelly. They would not support her. She collapsed and backed herself against the side of the dirty space. Her heart was beating so hard that it hurt, and her throat stung with every raw, rasping gasp she took. Frightened tears stung the corners of her eyes as she desperately prayed that the shadowy monster had stopped chasing her.

She felt her breath catch as she spied the eyes and teeth just outside of her hiding spot. She braced herself, but nothing came. The eyes narrowed a bit as the shadows slinked back and dissipated into the darkness of the main tunnel.

Willow furrowed her brow as she began to breathe again. Why had it just stopped trying to get her like that? Was there something stopping it from leaving the tunnel?

She didn't care…she was just grateful that she was alive. Relief washed over her like a cool waterfall as she leaned her head back and tried to calm down.

When she was well enough to stand, she climbed out and speed-walked home as fast as her already tired legs would take her. She didn't know whether she should confide in her parents about what happened or keep it a secret. If she told them; many things could go wrong. For one thing, she would be grounded into the next millennium, and likely never be allowed to leave the house by herself again. That wouldn't fly…

Also, would they really believe her tale about the shadow monster? Would anyone?

As she nervously trekked back home Willow decided it was best to keep her frightful encounter a secret for the time being. She could just say she was climbing the rocks by the river again to explain her disheveled appearance. As much as she wanted to confide in someone, she felt it would just be a safer move to stay quiet.

As horrified and exhausted as she was, Willow had a strange feeling that she would be returning to the tunnel once again.


	2. Chapter 2: Guilt

Yay! This is my first story that isn't a one-shot! *confetti* I hope you all like it

**Chapter Two: Guilt**

Willow pouted as she buried her face deep into her pillow. Even though she had lied about going into the tunnel, her parents believed her about going to the river and had still gotten mad. She was sent to her room for the rest of the evening without being able to go back outside until tomorrow. It was really a reasonable punishment, but Willow was still a bit childishly cross.

She had taken a quick bath to cleanse her scrapes and wash the sweat and dirt from her skin. Her dark, auburn hair was still damp as she twirled a few strands of it between her fingers. With a heavy sigh, she rolled onto her back and stared boredly at the ceiling through half closed eyes. She let go of her hair and fidgeted with her oversized white tee-shirt, which served as a makeshift nightgown. It was a hard task for her to sit completely still…something she was often scolded for. She always had to be doing something or fiddling with something.

She took a deep breath and let it out in a controlled hiss. The sun was already gone below the horizon; the eager moon rising to take its place in the spotlight. As Willow peeked out her window, she felt her skin crawl. She quickly got up and locked the window; closing the curtains too.

She felt incredibly stupid as she caught herself checking inside her closet and under her bed. These were stupid little rituals other scardy-cat kids did! Not her! What was she becoming? Had her ordeal earlier that evening freaked her out enough to make her partake in such ludicrous behavior?

"Yes…" she thought sheepishly.

Every time she caught a shadow in the corner of her room, she gasped and half expected it to sprout eyes and mouths. Of course it didn't, and she went right back from being scared to feeling like an idiot.

"I need to calm down…whatever monster I saw back there, is still in the tunnel. If I don't go back, then I never have to see it again!" Willow told herself. If she just tried her best to forget about the whole thing and ditch the idea of investigating, everything was sure to be peachy keen.

But doubt consumed what little resolve she had at the thought. She was Willow Summers for goodness sake! No matter how hard she tried…she wouldn't be able to skip out on the exploration of the tunnel. Scary shadow monster or not, she just _had _to go down there again to get a better look. She would just have to be more careful; and use the sharp wit she had always possessed.

Willow nervously licked her dry lips as she wandered into the hallway to say good night to her parents. After she did, she brushed her teeth and brushed her hair before returning to her room and crawling under the thin sheets. It was a warm summer's night, and she wouldn't need many blankets to stay comfortable. If she had too many, she might over heat; and she had never liked the suffocating feeling of a mountain of covers bearing down on her small form. She was a happy and healthy nine and a half year old…but she remained small for her age. She didn't really mind; she had easily proved many times before that size didn't matter and she was still a force to be reckoned with.

She tried her best to shut the monster out of her mind and get some rest. If she was going to try and check out the tunnel more in the morning, she would have to make sure she was well rested and ready to make another alarming escape if need be.

Willow forced herself to shut her eyes and believe that everything was fine. She had always been good at taking a scary situation and calming herself down by imagining a good outcome in the end. She soon drifted off to sleep, eager thoughts of the next adventure to come the last things to cross her mind before she floated away into dream land.

The next morning, Willow groggily opened her eyes to see sunlight pouring in from the cracks in her rumpled curtains. She rubbed her eyes and quickly sat up; remembering her plans from the night before. A grin spread across her face, half of it in nervousness and the other in anticipation, as she threw off the covers and padded, barefoot, across the wood floor of her room.

She quickly undressed and pulled on a black tank top with cargo shorts and her trusty pair of black flip flops. The foamy shoes had been through a lot with her…and sadly, she would probably have to get new ones soon since they were falling apart.

Willow hastily brushed her teeth to purge her morning breath and grinned at herself in the mirror. "I'm ready!" she said quietly as she hopped downstairs to greet her parents.

They all exchanged good mornings as they ate breakfast. Soon after the table was cleared, her father bid farewell as he went out to check on their cows. Willow was thankful that her parents didn't eat meat either so that her beloved bovine friends were safe. She had been able to name them when her dad had first brought them home as mere calves. She named one Betsy, and the other Marcy. Sometimes when she was relaxing she would go and sit with them in the pasture and write.

After her father was out the door, Willow's mother informed her that she would be upstairs working on a new painting. Willow nodded and smiled at the thought. She was so proud to be the daughter of the town artist. Her mother was an amazing painter…and often went to other towns to sell her works at festivals.

"Mom! I'm going out for a bit, okay?" Willow called after her as she began to ascend the stairs. She bit her lip as she waited for a response; itching to get to the tunnel again.

"Alright…but stay away from the river, okay? I don't want you coming home all scraped up again. You worry me sometimes Willow…but I know you aren't easily tamed. You have a wild spirit just like I did at your age. I guess it's my fault for passing it on to you." Her mother called back.

Willow was happy to be let out again…but a twinge of guilt pulled at her insides. Her mother was so laid back and trusting of her…and she had lied about where she had been. She hesitated a moment before shaking off her regret. She would come back okay…and no one would have to worry! It would all be fine…

"Okay, thanks mom! I'll see you later, good luck with your painting!" she said as she got to the door. She looked up the staircase to see her mom standing at the top and smiling down at her. Her wavy blonde hair was shining in the sunlight like an angel's halo as she stood in front of one of the upstairs windows. She was really pretty…but Willow had only inherited personality from her. Her straight auburn hair, hazel eyes and freckles had all been courtesy of her father's genes. Not that she minded, really. Though she did wish she had her mother's blue eyes…

"Okay, just be careful sweetie; I love you." She said.

Willow nearly gave in at that point but forced herself not to. "I love you too mom, don't worry! I'll be fine! You know me."

Her mother chuckled and shook her head. "You're right…you're a toughie!"

Willow pretended to flex her arms as she giggled and waved before letting herself out the door.

As she walked down the dirt path away from her house, she saw her dad out back. He looked up and motioned her to come closer. She trotted to the fence and climbed up on it.

"Hey dad! What is it?" she asked, wanting to hurry up and get going.

"Where are you going in such a hurry, Will?" he asked in that suspicious fatherly way. "You're not going to the river again are you? Your mother and I were very worried about you last night." He walked up to the fence and rested his hands atop the wooden structure.

Willow swallowed hard and shook her head. "No, I'm just going for a walk since it's such a nice day."

She wasn't _lying_… In truth she wasn't going to the river; she was going somewhere much worse. Even though she had done a lot of reckless adventuring before…she had barely ever lied to her parents. She wanted to keep the trust between them, but she also wanted to continue her exploration of the tunnel! She felt horrible for keeping secrets but…she had to. Once again, she told herself that it was no big deal and nothing was hurting them. What they didn't know wouldn't kill them, right?

She swallowed the guilty lump in her throat as she pictured everything being okay in her mind. She would be fine…and so would her parents. End of story.

"Okay, just be careful and don't do anything reckless. Let's keep the perilous adventure to a minimum for a while." He said with a small smile. A bit of his short, messy auburn hair stuck out from underneath the brim of his straw hat. His glasses glinted in the bright summer sun as he leaned forward and placed a kiss on his daughter's forehead. "Have fun!" he said as he patted her on the back and began to get back to work.

Willow hopped down from the fence and nodded. "Okay dad…I will!"

They waved to each other and went their separate ways; one wearily into the barn and the other eagerly towards a monster inhabited tunnel.

Not the most eventful chapter but…hey, events and stuff need to be tied together. The next one will be more action-y; I promise!


	3. Chapter 3: Curiosity

**Chapter Three: Curiosity**

Willow was experiencing an extreme case of déjà vu as she found herself looking down at the yellow caution tape again. But this time, she was prepared. She had an idea of what was down there and, hopefully, how to protect herself. If her theory was correct, the monster couldn't chase her beyond the main tunnel itself. It hadn't been able to enter the sub tunnel…so she could always dive in there and wait for it to leave if she had to. Hopefully she was right and the monster hadn't let her get away because it was just tired or something…if she was wrong she was royally screwed.

Willow searched around the bushes for her lantern. She had hidden it so that her parents didn't question her as to why she had it when she arrived home the night before. After she located it, she lit it quickly and made sure no one was watching her before climbing into the opening in the dirt.

She dropped down and looked around herself. She could still make out skid marks in the dirt floor left from her escape the day before. Suddenly, she didn't think this was such a good idea. She was just about to re-enter the same tunnel in which she had almost been devoured by a shadow monster! Was she insane?

Willow felt her knees begin to knock together nervously as she held up the lantern. What if this time…she was not so lucky? What if she couldn't escape?

"Okay…whoa, it's okay." She told herself shakily. She leaned up against the side of the sub-tunnel for support. Blinking a couple of times, Willow took a deep breath and shook her head vigorously. "Nothing bad is going to happen to me…I have a plan this time!"

She wasn't sure her little pep talk had made the situation any better, but she decided to force herself forward anyway. If she didn't, she was sure she would regret passing up the chance of ever knowing what secrets lurked beneath the ground.

Willow crept towards the opening into the main tunnel and took a cursory look around. Not wanting to waste any time, she moved inside. She let out a long breath she hadn't even known she was holding as she walked in the opposite direction of last time. Perhaps she would have more luck going the other way. She trekked slowly to make sure that she wasn't too far from her safe haven should Mr. Shadows make another appearance.

The dull echo of her flip flops hitting the dirt rang out around her despite her attempt at being sneaky and silent. As Willow squinted around she silently prayed to any and everyone that nothing would sneak up on her. If there was a giant shadow creature skulking around…well, who _knew_ what other ghastly things shared its home. If there was such thing as one monster, why wouldn't there be others?

"So far so good…" willow whispered to no one in particular. "Just a little longer…and then I'll go back."

She walked over to one of the dirty walls and inspected it closely. She really wished she had brought her old Sherlock Holmes-style magnifying glass with her. It would be useful…and just perfect for the overall atmosphere of her investigation. As she peered at the dirt she ran her delicate fingers gently over its surface. The groves in it were strange…they reminded her of something she couldn't quite place in her mind…

Before she had much time to think about it a familiar, and disturbing, noise sounded behind her. She stiffened at the slithering sound, almost sure that her hair was standing out all around her head like a cartoon character. She gripped the lantern's handle so tightly that her knuckles went white and she almost cut into the pads of her hands with her finger nails.

"Don't make a sound…" she thought robotically. Even if she didn't talk, she was sure the monster could hear her just from the sound of her erratically beating heart. It pumped violently in her throat as she tried to swallow the frightened lump that was forming there.

"Trying to avoid detection by staying still? A worthless effort indeed." The dreadful voice said. There was a mocking tone to its words, almost as if it was laughing at Willow. "I admit I'm surprised that you came back here. I'm not sure whether to count it as an act of bravery or stupidity. You are a human after all…so I might as well go with the latter. Though they are rather interchangeable, don't you agree?"

Willow was shaking so much that her tremors were causing her teeth to chatter loudly. Why had she ventured back down here? She was so stupid! She had merely been curious…but as she had been warned many a time, curiosity killed the cat. In this case…it led to the demise of an incredibly stubborn nine year old.

She contemplated her options. There was option one, get eaten, which she would save for a plan Z. She could try to fight it…but that seemed next to impossible in her position. She could run, but could she really get past it without being caught? It seemed like the best door to take…so she figured it was worth a try. Is she was going to die down here at the hands of this beast, then she would sure as hell die trying. There was no way she was going to let herself go down without a fight.

"I…I suppose…"she said meekly, voice cracking. "But…I'm a reckless kid, always have been. It's just who I am!" she nearly yelled before taking off at the speed of a race horse back towards the sub-tunnel.

As she ran, she could hear the shadows give an exasperated sigh as they gave chase. "Don't think I'll even consider letting you get away twice!" the monster roared.

Willow just pictured her first successful escape in her mind's eye to calm herself down as she ran. If she had done it once…she was sure she could do it again. "I don't care if you'll _'let'_ me or not, I'm going to do it anyway!" she called back, suddenly feeling very cocky and good about her chances of survival.

As the next moments played out, Willow realized why she tried_ never _to get over confident before accomplishing something.

Suddenly, she could feel something grab at her from behind. She gasped as something cool and smooth wrapped around her foot, pulling her to the ground.

She tumbled forward as she collided into the hard dirt, getting the wind knocked out of her. She had experienced the horrid feeling many times before while playing and exploring with friends. She wasn't the most graceful girl…and ended up taking more than her fair share of tumbles. She hated the way she felt like she was suffocating for those few moments before the air rushed back into her frantic lungs.

Willow weakly clawed at the ground as she felt herself being slowly dragged back.

"No!" she thought wildly. "This can't be happening!"As her breath came back in gasps she tried her best to get away from the monster.

She looked back to see wispy, shadowy arms slithering out from the main being and making their way towards her. She could see only one currently binding her around her left foot. She narrowed her eyes and quickly jerked her leg around. She didn't expect much of a result, but it was worth a try she supposed.

To her surprise, she was able to wrench herself free. The shadow thing seemed as surprised as she did when it was left with nothing in its grasp but a dingy old flip flop. Its many eyes narrowed, rows of teeth gritting, as it tried to grab her again.

Though she was still shocked, Willow was not about to let herself be ensnared again. She pushed herself up off the ground with record speed and precision and sprinted away. All she focused on as she ran was being able to escape, and not counting her eggs before they hatched. She had to be careful not to get cocky like that again…it had nearly cost her her life.

She somehow found her way to the sub-tunnel in the darkness (she had dropped her lantern in the fall) and climbed in. She felt something scrape across her back as she got to safety…alerting her that she would be dead if she had been a second slower.

She tried to catch her breath as she turned to see the shadow monster hovering just outside of the opening. She could tell it was seething in anger and frustration at her second escape. Willow didn't totally blame Mr. Shadows…she assumed this didn't happen to him very often. But still, it served him right! How could he just try to eat a cute little girl such as herself? Honestly…she knew that was what monsters supposedly did, but really. He needed to acquire some manners.

"I can't believe this! Outran by a pathetic little human…twice!" the red eyes narrowed into slits. "You humans sure can be incredibly tenacious creatures, I'll give you that. However, I cannot praise your for such behavior…it makes my life a whole lot more inconvenient. No one's supposed to know about this tunnel, or me! And now this whole sorry town will probably hear about it."

As Willow listened to the mini rant, she cocked her head to the side a bit. The voice coming from the shadows, as distorted as it was, sounded an awful lot like a young boy's voice. It was odd…and not the way she would expect a monster to talk.

"Oh, you won't have to worry about the town knowing! I haven't told anyone…and I don't really plan on it either. Not in the near future anyway." Willow said in as casual a tone as her shaking voice would allow.

The monster regarded her warily. "How come? You must have confided in someone. You left here pretty shaken yesterday. You didn't share your fear with anyone?"

Willow shook her head. "Nope. I would be grounded _forever_ if my parents ever knew I had come down here! I don't want to get in trouble…or worry them. Besides, I think everyone would think I'm crazy." She fiddled with a dirt clod that sat beside her.

"Well…even so, I would suggest never journeying down here again. I swear, I will not let this happen again. I can't believe it happened twice…next time, you're mine." Mr. Shadows said darkly before beginning to slink away down the tunnel.

"Oh yeah, third time's the charm, huh?" Willow called with a giggle. She was trying to mask the fear she still felt with a veil of wit.

The shadows grumbled something before disappearing from sight.

Willow stood up and brushed herself off. She climbed out of the sub-tunnel and into the early afternoon daylight. She stretched and took a deep breath of the clean country air. She had escaped death's clutches once again…wow, she had to be the most bad-ass nine year old ever!

As she walked towards her home, she removed her other flip flop and looked at it sadly before tossing it into a nearby wastebasket. It had to go…what good was one flip flop? Plus, she would likely have a harder time explaining the loss of one flip flop than both of them. She just hoped that she could shake the eerie shivers that continued to run down her spine before she returned to her parents. Otherwise, she'd have some serious s'plainin' to do.

I'm so proud of myself that I'm actually trying to write a longer story, and keeping up with it! I hope you all still like it and will keep reading heehee.


	4. Chapter 4: Plans

**Chapter Four: Plans**

"Will…where are your shoes?"

'Will' fidgeted slightly under her father's hazel gaze as she thought of some excuse to explain her dirty, bare feet. She hated continually lying about her whereabouts…but it was a must.

"I threw them out on the way home." She said. "They were really old…and started falling apart while I was walking." Even though she despised lying…she was a bit proud of herself for being so good at it.

Her dad sighed and shook his head. "Why didn't you at least wait until you got home to throw them away? You're a weird one Will…but that's why I love you." He didn't seem to think she was lying as he smiled and ruffled her auburn hair.

Willow giggled and swatted his hand away. "Yeah…because I'm delightfully weird…and your daughter. Your own flesh and blood! You _have_ to love me."

He sighed. "Such is a father's burden. We dads are doomed to love our daughters endlessly no matter how nutty they are."

Willow laughed and lightly punched him in the stomach. "You're so mean daddy!" she twittered; bursting into laughter as he scooped her up in his strong arms and carried her towards the house. In the midst of their father daughter love, she momentarily forgot about the terror she had experienced in the tunnel.

After they got inside, Willow was forced to take a bath. Her protests of 'it's only afternoon!' apparently hadn't meant anything in the argument; for she soon found herself soaking in the large porcelain tub amidst a sea of bubbles. She sighed and blew a few of them away from her face. She had wanted to go out back and help her dad with the cows, but instead she was here. This wasn't her ideal plan, but she would admit that it felt really good on her sore muscles. All the running she had had to do over the past two days had really taken its toll.

The thought of running quickly brought her mind back to the tunnel. She hugged herself and slid a bit further down into the warm depths of the tub. The fear of death was still fresh in her mind if she allowed herself to think about it. She had done a good job of not dwelling on it until now…

She hated to think about it, but she had actually _liked_ going into the tunnel. The feeling of danger and excitement had shot a sea of adrenaline through her that she had never felt before. It was strange…but so delectably so that she knew she couldn't stay away. She was a thrill junkie to the highest degree.

Right then and there, amongst the mountains of bubbles from using way too much bubble bath, Willow knew she would be going back to the tunnel…_again_. She had no idea why she kept getting the urge to return to the quaint little death trap; she just _did_. Somehow she could always overcome her fear of the shadow beast that dwelled there and desire to take another trip. Perhaps her want to visit was _because_ of the monster…

"Oh gawd…I must be going crazy…What am I thinking?" She said with an exasperated sigh before dunking her head under the water's surface. She blew bubbles out of her nose in a frustrated manner before coming back up for a gasp of air.

Sometimes, she even annoyed herself with her odd sense of curiosity. She had never been a very conventional young lass; always preferring exploring to playing with dolls, the villains in a story as opposed to the heroes (she could always find a way to feel sorry for them and argue that they were not all bad)…but this? It far outweighed those little quirks on the weirdness scale. How could she be so intrigued by a _monster_ that had tried to _kill_ her…twice! And he had stated rather firmly that he would not hesitate to try again. Perhaps on the next attempt he would succeed. She knew she shouldn't give him the chance…but something was pulling her back.

Besides, she knew how a way to protect herself now. The monster hadn't followed her beyond the main tunnel either time she had escaped…she was sure it wasn't a mere coincidence' or that he had gotten lazy both times (that would make him a pretty sad excuse for a monster).

"He must not be able to follow me into the sub-tunnel…making it a safe haven." She thought. Having a 'safe haven' comforted her a bit about going back. If she could merely sit there and observe without having to leave, she would be a-ok. And perhaps if she stayed there, she could try and converse with the monster.

The only problem would be getting him to stick around and talk to her. She certainly didn't have anything over him that would be incentive to say and talk to her…and why would he? He probably would just get annoyed and leave…but Willow thought it was worth a try.

It was terrifying and exciting to think about; being so close to a real live _monster_. Even though she knew she would be safe in the small entrance of the sub-tunnel, there was a sense of danger that made her heart beat fast in her chest.

After all, how many people, especially of the nine year old girl variety, got the chance to converse with a man-eating shadow monster? And it was even more special because she knew she had the upper hand. Well, she was about 96.3% sure she had the upper hand…it was good enough.

Willow took a deep breath to calm herself down and drained the tub. She dried off with her special fluffy purple towel and got into her black and grey sleeveless nightgown. Her favorite old tee shirt that she usually slept in (it had belonged to her deceased grandfather) was in need of a good wash…so this would just have to do. Even though it was still relatively early in the day, she probably wouldn't be doing much outside for the rest of the day since she had just taken a bath. With that logic, she decided that walking around the house in her jammies during the day wasn't too bummy.

Willow wandered down the hallway in search of something to do. She needed something to occupy her mind until tomorrow…and it had to be something inside. She furrowed her brow. She had read all of the books she owned, and her mother wouldn't let her tap into _her_ collection until she was 'older'. She had written poems and drawn pictures all day yesterday when she was stuck in her room after returning from her first tunnel expedition. She wanted to do something else…but what?

She sighed and plodded to her room. Once inside, she walked over to her bed and grabbed her favorite stuffed animal, a bunny named Sedgwick, and plopped down in her window seat. She gave Sedgwick a tight squeeze between her thin arms and buried her face in his soft head. So much was still running through her mind about the tunnel…it was almost overwhelming. Many a day Willow would sit at her window seat and gaze out at the expanse of lush green land that seemed to stretch on endlessly towards the horizon. It was so vast and beautiful…it was a good way to calm herself down and clear her head. She had gazed upon the particular scene many times before, and it was always nearly the same. It was like a painting. She found it dependable, something to hold onto because it would always be there for her to look at with hazel eyes.

After a while of gazing at the picturesque scenery with her rabbit, she had calmed down considerably. Something about it had lulled her into a sense of security about her predicament. She would be fine if she went back. Everything would be just fine.

She ran through her plan in her head. It was simple, really. Just get another lantern, prepare herself mentally, sit at the edge of the threshold and call out. If Mr. Shadows didn't show up…well, it was his loss. She wouldn't dare wander from the exit…but if she was sure he wasn't around she might look around a _little bit_. But only a few feet from the sub-tunnel. She didn't think she had it in her to have another death race with the monster.

As she thought of her plan over and over, she felt better. There was no way it could fail!

"…Right?" she thought reluctantly. "No! I have to be confident. If I don't even believe in _my_ _own_ plan myself, there's no way I'll succeed. I just have to think positively about this."

She beat the bad thoughts out of her head and tried to find a sense of repose. She leaned her head back and closed her eyes, long eyelashes tickling her cheeks slightly. She hugged Sedgwick tightly, as if her anxiety would leave little by little with every squeeze.

Soon enough, Willow dozed off into a light nap, her last thoughts before sleep being of how (hopefully) _well_ the next day's events would go.

Well this one was a bit shorter I think…sorry about that! And there was no Pride…again, SORRY! I promise it will be getting better soon…and there will be lots more of our beloved little shadow monster. :]


	5. Chapter 5: Changes

**Chapter Five: Changes **

Willow walked casually down the road, her new _horrendously ugly_ pink flip flops (courtesy of her mother), clomping audibly against the dirt. She absolutely despised them. The sheer hatred she had for the infernally colored footwear shared a long list of other nuisances including sun burns, clowns, meat lovers and spiders. Despite being a very peppy kid, she still disliked a lot of things.

The flip flops were the worst possible shade of pink…a light, powdery pastel hue that she hoped she would soon get dirty enough to cover. She had never been a big fan of the distinctly 'feminine' color, always preferring the 'boyish' blue.

She sighed and turned her head up towards the sky. She shielded her eyes against the glare of the bright, cloudless expanse of blue. It was a clear, cheerful day…the perfect day to have a quaint little chat with the very monster who wanted to kill her. Even though her mission sounded horrific, what could possibly go wrong on such a pretty summer's day? Even if she was underground in the dark staring death in its many, many eyes…honestly. The birds were even chirping melodically like a scene out of a fairytale. And if this was a fairytale, then Willow was surely the princess! But a more tomboyish, bad ass kind of princess…no 'damsel in distress I'm useless without my prince' uselessness for her.

She groaned and shook her head at how cliché she was being as the classic 'Beauty and the Beast' popped into her thoughts. Oh puh-leez! Like that had anything to do with her own situation…she had no care for Mr. Shadows! She hated him as much as he hated her right now…she was just…curious. Yeah! That was it. Besides, the beauty of the temperate day had put her at ease. Again, there was no way anything bad could happen to her.

She had managed to get through another lie about going for a walk, and was eagerly on her way to the tunnel. She had her new lantern in hand, hoping that no one would question her as to why she was carrying it around in broad daylight. She also hoped that her parents didn't notice two of their lanterns were missing… She had always been good at improvisation though, so she was sure she could come up with _some_ plausible excuse.

Willow hugged the lantern to her chest as she neared the collapsed tunnel entrance. She was experiencing a bit of nerves that resembled stage fright…but she quickly over came them. Maybe it was just because of the nice day, or her good mood, or the fact that she had actually come with a plan…but most of her fear had been dissolved and replaced by raw curiosity. Perhaps it would be different when she actually got down there and near the monster…but for now she had it all under control.

Call her decisions stupid, naïve, childish…but she was going to follow through anyway. It wasn't in her nature to back down. She would revisit and explore to her heart's content until something happened that _really _told her to stay away. Apparently in her crazy, young mind, almost getting killed, two times now, wasn't a _real_ reason to stay away. Go figure.

She soon found herself underground again. She had hardly even noticed that she had made the small trip into the darkness already…her mind was much too busy. It was like her body was on autopilot. Before she could even allow herself to get nervous she shook her head vigorously and took a very deep breath.

"No worries!" she quickly announced to herself. She used her best 'cheery and optimistic little kid' voice in an attempt to fortify the hopefully positive impact.

Trying to keep herself preoccupied so as not to totally freak out at any second; Willow quickly lit the lantern and walked out to the opening into the main tunnel. She put on the most serious face she could possibly muster and sat down cross-legged in the dirt. She placed the lantern to her left and prepared herself for the next stage of her plan to lure out the shadow monster.

Her small hands trembled slightly as she turned around and searched for some stray rocks. She grabbed as many as she could find and repositioned herself at the cusp on the sub-tunnel. She was at the very edge, but just far enough in that she was sure she would still be safe.

"Okay…it's show time." She thought. She expertly threw the rocks onto the ground of the main tunnel in a way that sounded like a small child was jumping down from the slight elevation of the entrance. She hoped it was truly as convincing as _she_ thought it was…

"Third time's the charm!" she said into cupped hands to make it sound more echo-y as if she were in the big tunnel instead of her perch. She wasn't going to say any cliché 'well it's good to see there are _NO_ monsters around here!' junk to fool Mr. Shadows…that was totally tacky and not her style.

"Please work…" she thought. Perhaps she was merely making a fool out of herself…it wouldn't be the first time. She was a kid! Of course she had an idealistic vision of her plan working like a charm; but that didn't mean reality would be so kind. Would such a beast truly be fooled by her hasty ideas? Probably not.

"Oh…I'm so stupid!" she thought, lightly hitting herself in the head. "Why am I even down here? I should just-." Before she could finish her newly negative thinking pattern, something caught her attention.

Before she could distinguish what exactly had pulled her from her thoughts, the huge mass of shadows sprung from nowhere in a loud symphony of whooshing; surrounding the whole section of the main tunnel in front of her.

Willow's eyes widened and a gasp caught in her throat. Her plan….had worked? It had actually worked? She wanted to jump for joy and let out her victory cry…but she was so surprised by the success of her 'lame' planning that all she could do was sit and stare, dumbfounded.

The many red eyes looked around, seemingly bewildered to find that their 'prey' was nowhere in sight. Then, they seemed to see her for the first time, sitting there just out of reach. Mr. Shadows regarded her as she sat.

Willow could see the transformation of confusion to pure rage take place within his many red eyes. Rows of teeth grinded together as the shadowy mass began to tremble; most likely in anger.

Without meaning to, Willow moved back a bit into the sub-tunnel. She had expected him to get mad if and when he came…but the aura of malevolence he was giving off was more than she had prepared herself for. She was seriously starting to get freaked out here.

"You…" Mr. Shadows began, voice dripping with virulence. "How dare you continue to come back here with your idiotic little tricks! How many times must you humiliate me, you puny little _human_!"

Willow had no idea how to respond to that…or if she was even expected to. She felt a deep frown set into her own face. The way he had been so condescending about the fact that she was a '_human_' struck a chord inside her somewhere. Sure he was some sort of crazy shadow monster, and she was a little human girl…but what did that mean? It seemed that in every book she had ever read about monsters and/or aliens interacting with people…they always hated each other and began to fight. She didn't get it. Why couldn't they just get along? She had always thought about how cool it would be, first of all, if monsters were real (which now it seemed they were), and secondly if they could just get along with humans.

It was probably just because she was such a young idealist…but it seemed like a cool idea. Willow had always wished for some sort of fantastical happenings in her life. She spent a lot of time reading fantasy stories and daydreaming about what _could_ happen, but most likely never would. She'd always wondered why the real world was the most boring one.

Willow shook her head to get rid of her muddled thoughts. She was getting way to philosophical and deep for the moment at hand…what was her deal?

"Well, I was just-." Before she could finish, she was interrupted. Perhaps it was for the better…she hadn't actually had a plan for what to say; she was just talking.

"I'm not finished!" Mr. Shadows roared in his odd little kid voice. Perhaps it was more unnerving for him to sound so young because it was just so out there and unexpected. "There's no way an inferior being such as yourself should be able to make a fool out of _me_ like this! Time and time again!"

Willow folded her arms across her chest and 'hmph'ed. "Well, maybe you shouldn't underestimate me because I'm a human." She said.

Mr. Shadows scoffed at her remark. "And why not? As a human, you are lower than me in every way." He said. A thick coat of arrogance glazed his voice as he spoke of himself.

"Well then Mr. Higher than Thou, how is it that I've managed to doop you, how many times now? Oh yeah, _three_ times." She said with a growing smirk. "I wouldn't call that 'inferior'."

That seemed to hit a nerve. Mr. Shadows made a sharp noise of distaste and began to slowly slither away. "Whatever you want to say to make yourself sound greater than you really are." He said. "Never come back down here, I don't want to see that pathetic little face of yours ever again." He growled as he slinked away.

"You can't tell me what to do!" Willow said indignantly. "Despite what you may _think_, you have no power or authority over me, Mr. Shadows. I'll come down here as much as I want."

Mr. Shadows continued to slither away without anything to say to her. Willow furrowed her brow. Even though he was being a huge jerk…something about talking to such a dangerous creature was growing more and more exciting. It all went back to her wish for the world to be a little more interesting. Now that it was, she wasn't going to give it up! No way, that was out of the question.

"I'll be back tomorrow! I want to see you again! I've never had this much oddity and excitement in my life before…I hope you'll be here too!" she called. She felt awkward saying that…it sounded too much like some lovey-dovey plea for a second chance.

Willow rashly stuck her head out of the opening and called out again. "Okay, I didn't mean for that to sound as desperate as it did! I just want to keep my life kind of exciting! I'm sure no one else in my town has ever had this chance before!" That statement felt a little better.

Just as Willow was waiting for a reply, a large sharp object flew towards her from the darkness. It was a part of Mr. Shadows for sure, equipped with one of his many mouths and eyes. Willow gasped and fell back, re-entering the sub-tunnel just in time to avoid getting her head spit in two. The edge of the shadow had sliced of a bit of her auburn hair. The few strands fell to the dirty ground as she struggled to regain her breath.

The shadowy appendage hovered just outside of the opening inside of the barrier he could not cross. "Do you still want to come back, girl?" his voice sounded from the dark.

Willow seriously doubted it for a second, but vowed to stand her ground. "Yes!" she said breathlessly. "You can't stop me! Nothing you do is going to scare me out of an adventure like this!"

Mr. Shadows cackled from the main tunnel; his odd metallic voice echoing unsettlingly off every available surface. "Yet another case of human idiocy. You're all the same, no matter how much you may want to deny it. Most other humans I've come into contact with have met unpleasant deaths by my doing. If you will continue to visit me out of stupid curiosity, I can only wait in anticipation until the day you slip up and end up the same way." His tone of voice chilled Willow as she listened. "You may have your reasons for coming down here, and I have mine. I wonder what will happen when they converge?" With that last creepy little addition, he slithered off; leaving Willow alone in the quiet dark.

By now, even the lantern didn't seem to be enough to dispel the darkness surrounding her.

As Willow crawled out of the tunnel and into the still present daylight, she sighed. She was completely worn out, both physically and mentally. If she kept this up day after day, she might just collapse and never get up. But as out of it and exhausted as she was, a small fire of enthusiasm still burned within her. She knew she shouldn't go back there, but she hadn't listened to that little tid bit of reason before…so why start now?

"Tomorrow I'll go back…" she told herself. "I want to learn more about Mr. Shadows! There has to be some awesome story to his existence."

Willow suddenly realized that after almost just being _killed_, she needed something sugary and super unhealthy to calm down. Even though she didn't think she was scared anymore, she noticed herself shaking slightly as she walked down the dirt road. She would pay a quick visit to the town creamery for some ice-cream. It would help get her mind off her insane predicament; and her family was friends with the couple who ran it. Willow could always count on getting a scoop for free when needed.

"I wonder if Mr. Shadows likes ice-cream?" she thought to herself as she made her way to her destination. "Or if all he eats is people…" she shivered at the gruesome thought. She didn't know for certain if that was what he did…but what else would be the purpose of all those mouths? And he didn't seem to think at all highly of humans…so he might…

"Stop!" she thought as she tried to clear her thoughts of Mr. Shadows for the time being. For the first time in the past few days, she actually wanted to relax and not think about him. She just wanted the rest of the day to be normal.

However, she had a feeling that her life had ceased the capability of being 'normal' ever again the second she had decided to enter the tunnel…

Oh my goodness! I have kind of a hard time staying with one story for a long time…so I'm super proud of myself for sticking with this! I guess it's because I love Pride and Willow so much…and I don't want to disappoint anyone who might be reading this! Willow is totally crazy…but crazy people rock, so, yay?


	6. Chapter 6: Family

*Wow, look who finally decided to update? Man…sorry it's been SOOOO long since I've worked on this story. I hope people still continue to read it…*

**Chapter Six: Family**

Willow hummed a jaunty little tune as she walked along, hands tucked away in her pockets. She had been trying to stick with her 'keep everything normal' plan for a couple of days now. It wasn't going well, to say the least. On the outside, she tried to appear as composed and cheery as any typical child. On the inside, however, she was a wreck. Her curiosity was eating her alive! She didn't know what else she could possibly learn from the treacherous tunnel or the incredibly grouchy shadow monster, but it didn't matter! Even if there was nothing left to discover, she had to go back. Normal life in Mare just wasn't up to her standards anymore.

Now, of course she loved helping her father with the cows, watching her mother paint and playing with the other town children, but…something was amiss. Those simple pleasures alone were not good enough anymore. Willow felt guilty and almost selfish to be thinking like she was…but she couldn't help it.

Out-climbing the other children on the slippery rocks by the river was no longer the most dangerous or fun thing she had ever done. Now, her biggest accomplishment was escaping death, what, three times now? Willow counted the number of close calls on one hand.

"Yeah, that's three times I've bested Mr. Shadows!" Willow said to herself, smiling triumphantly. Her smile quickly vanished however, and her brow furrowed. "Come to think of it…I don't even know Mr. Shadows' real name! Do monsters even have names? Surely they must…"

Willow almost felt bad for not asking the monster's name…but it wasn't like she had had much of a chance. Plus, regular formalities between humans didn't seem like they should apply to the situation anyway. How would she even ask him? 'Hello, my name is Willow Summers! I'm very pleased to make your acquaintance, even though you're a big scary monster who has tried to kill me multiple times! And your name is…?' Now that just seemed silly.

Willow kept walking, deeply engrossed in her thoughts of the monster in the tunnel. She wasn't really going anywhere specific…she had just wanted to get out of the house and stretch her legs a bit while enjoying the sunny day. She tilted her head back and squinted her hazel eyes against the glaring sunshine. There was hardly a cloud in the sky today, and a seemingly endless expanse of blue met her gaze. It was the kind of day that energized her and made her feel ready for anything; much like the last time she had visited the tunnel.

She had half a mind to go to the collapsed tunnel at that exact moment, but she stopped herself.

"No…I told myself I'd wait five days at least…it's only been three." She thought with a frown. "I have to learn the values of self control!"

Self control wasn't ever something that Willow had taken seriously. If someone wanted to do something fun or crazy, why shouldn't they? She wanted to pack as much fun and adventure as possible into her life before she died, and though she surely had a while to go, she didn't see any reason to slow down just because she was a child. If she wanted to have some excitement with a monster…why should she keep herself away?

"Then again, if I keep going down there, I'm probably risking my time left…" she thought, quickly shrugging it off. She was young, death didn't scare her.

"Maybe I'll just take a quick peek…" she said to herself, feeling a welcome rush of excitement. "I don't have to stay long."

Willow began walking towards the outskirts of her town. Mare was not a very fancy or big town; but it had its perks. It was one of those quaint little places where everyone knew each other and everything was within walking distance. The shoe shop was right next to the hat shop, the farmers market was right near the butcher and so on. But…Willow always avoided the butcher's at all costs; that place gave her the _creeps_. She shuddered just thinking about it.

It was a very close-knit community, and though it wasn't often exciting, Willow still loved it. She was proud of her town, but whenever she looked at the newspaper with her father, she longed to travel to the other places that were mentioned. The town of Resembool sounded interesting…and it wasn't _too_ far away. Apparently they had a big sheep herding festival each year that sounded like a great time. Also, Liore could be cool…but it was rather far and there had been a lot of unrest in that region. Perhaps it wasn't the best place for a visit. However, most of all, Willow wanted to take a train to Central City. It was one of the biggest cities in the country of Amestris, and was where all the important government officials lived.

Willow didn't have much interest in government (boring grownup stuff) but she had never been to a big city before. The hustle bustle of it all sounded exotic to her, and she had heard that it was crawling with state alchemists. She didn't know much about alchemy…but it almost seemed like some sort of magic to her young mind. She was dying to see it in action. She had begged her parents to consider a small sojourn to Central City…but they had merely given her an unconvincing 'maybe'. She was still trying for a 'yes'…but she knew it would take time.

Lost in her thoughts of travel and adventure, Willow didn't even realize that she was nearly at her destination. She could already see the site of the collapse tunnel in the distance.

"Wow that didn't take long…" she muttered, picking up the pace.

Once she reached the entrance, she realized that since she hadn't exactly planned on coming to the tunnel, she didn't have a lantern to light the way.

"Darn!" she hissed, lightly hitting herself in the head. "And I just bought one too…"

She thought of it sitting in her room, all shiny and new and waiting to be taken on an adventure. She could go and get it…but her parents would surely be suspicious if they saw her. It was daylight…why would she need a lantern?

"Ugh…" Willow grumbled, looking down at the opening. "I could just wing it…" but the thought of being down there in complete darkness sent a shiver down her spine. Even though she wasn't afraid of the dark per say, being down there with a monster she couldn't see was a _little_ scary.

"Then again…I didn't come all the way here for nothing!" she thought. "Just a quick peek, I'll be safe in the sub-tunnel. No biggie..."

Willow took a cautionary look around before lowering herself into the entrance. In the dark, it was noticeably cooler than it was above ground. Willow hugged herself as she walked towards the edge of the sub-tunnel. Her shorts and tee shirt ensemble was not the warmest outfit.

It was darker than she had even imagined it would be. Even as her eyes tried to adjust to the dark, she couldn't see so much as an inch in front of her nose. Darkness this intense didn't seem real…and with his shadowy form, Mr. Shadows probably loved it. He could be lurking anywhere, ready to pounce, and no one would be the wiser.

"Geez…how much further…?" Willow said quietly to herself. She groped around herself, hugging the dirt wall to her left. It was all she could do to keep from stumbling in the pitch black of the tunnel.

Suddenly, without warning, the ground opened up beneath her feet and she tumbled forward. With a shrill and surprised screech, she fell a few feet and landed on her back on the hard dirt ground below.

"Owwwww!" she moaned, arching up and cringing. "What the heck!?" Willow laid there for a few moments, waiting for the dull ache to recede, before coming to a realization.

Her eyes went wide as she realized that she was lying in the main tunnel…not in the protective sub-tunnel. She swallowed hard and slowly sat up, still wincing in pain. Looking around herself, Willow still couldn't make out any of her surroundings. She didn't want to get caught in the dark with Mr. Shadows…so she shakily did her best to climb back into the sub-tunnel.

After an embarrassing few minutes of fumbling and slipping, Willow finally crawled her way back into her save haven. She was surprised that she hadn't heard the monster slithering up from the dark to get her…but it was a relief. For once, she thought Mr. Shadows _not_ coming out was a good thing.

She almost wanted to call out, but decided against it. Surely if he had been around, he would have heard her scream and swooped in then.

"Maybe he has something better to do with his time than wait around in a dingy tunnel." Willow mused. "Ha, maybe, he has family matters to attend to! Wouldn't that be something?" She almost laughed at the thought of Mr. Shadows having a family, or parents. Perhaps it was possible, but since he was some sort of giant shadow being, the idea seemed ludicrous.

Willow pictured him at a dinner table with a bunch of other monsters, telling them about his day and how he had almost killed a young red headed girl in his tunnel. Or, perhaps in order to save face, he would leave out the _almost_. It was such a silly thing to think about that Willow smiled and shook her head. She finally found her way to the opening and climbed back out into the sun, squinting against the intense light. It was in stark contrast to the darkness she had just been immersed in.

As she made her way back into town, she ignored the pain in her back and shook her head; smiling once again at the idea of Mr. Shadows having parents, or even siblings. "No way." She thought. "That would be too weird…right?" Then again…everyone deserved someone to 'go home' to. Perhaps, even a monster like Mr. Shadows.


	7. Chapter 7: Family

**Chapter Seven: Family**

"Selim? Is something wrong dear?"

The boy perked up at the mention of his 'name' and looked at the older woman sitting across from him at the dinner table.

"No, I'm okay mother." He replied, trying not to sound hesitant. He offered a small smile to further hide his true feelings. After all, he was quite good at hiding the truth. For this small child was not the innocent son that he appeared to be; no, he was a _monster_. And right now, a very frustrated monster at that.

However, _monster_ would not be the first word that he would choose to describe himself. _Homunculus_ was a more accurate, and less demeaning, term. Sure some of his characteristics could be seen as monstrous by small minded humans- wielding shadowy appendages, killing people just because, 'eating' them, causing general fear; but honestly. It was embarrassing to be referred to as such; and he wasn't one for embarrassment or humility. It just wasn't in his nature.

As a homunculus, he was an artificially created being made through the use of alchemy. There were six others like him, his 'siblings', but he had been the earliest to come into existence. All seven homunculi had been created by the same man, one they all knew as 'Father'. They were all the living incarnations of a particular sin…and had been removed from their father's soul in order to keep him a perfect being.

'Selim', was the first sin- Pride. Though he was the oldest homunculus, his physical appearance was the youngest. He looked to be a happy, innocent young boy who loved his surrogate mother and father. But, on the inside, he was a cruel and calculating entity; darker than even the blackest night. His boyish form, though a part of himself, was not much more than a container to use as a part of his façade. His true form was much more unsettling.

"Alright dear, if you say so. It's just that you looked rather distracted a second ago." His mother said with a tender smile. "If something's bothering you, you can talk to me Selim."

Pride shook his head and forced another smile. He couldn't tell her what was _reall_y bothering him, it would give away his true nature. As much as he looked down on humans as pathetic, useless creatures…he felt a certain _affinity_ for Mrs. Bradley, the woman he called 'mother'.

She was the wife of the ruler of Amestris, Fuhrer King Bradley. Much like Pride, the Fuhrer wasn't exactly what he seemed. Rather than his father, he was actually Pride's sibling, Wrath. In a way, Pride had always been under the influence of a father figure, but never a mother. Not until now. It was intriguing.

He knew he wasn't supposed to feel anything like affection, and that he shouldn't allow himself to become attached…but he couldn't help it. Something about her kindly and protective ways made him feel…_happy_. He would never admit it to the other homunculi, but deep down, he loved Mrs. Bradley.

Well…as close as someone, or something, like he could come to loving another.

But he drew the line at her. He would never, ever consider another human as anything more than a pawn, a sacrifice or an annoyance.

And speaking of annoyance…

"_Ugh…I don't need to remind myself…_" he thought, grimacing. The main topic of his thoughts for the past few days had been the vexatious red haired girl he had encountered in the tunnel. He had been trying to forget about her, but, to his dismay, he hadn't exactly been able to.

Having been out witted by her more than once had stuck with him, and he couldn't get his mind off of how furious he was! It was humiliating! She was a mere child, no more than eight or nine he was sure, and she had managed to escape his shadowy clutches a total of three times now. Naturally, he prided himself on his ability to remain calm in most any situation. He often said that anger did not reside within him, and he was able to overcome any unsightly displays of emotion. But…that was _not_ the case right now.

He was _pissed_. Seething! Livid! Practically seeing red!

His failure to rid the tunnel of the small intruder made him almost disappointed in himself…and he was _not_ used to such a feeling. It wasn't right for someone of his status to experience such humility. It made him look bad…or at least, it would if any of the other homunculi found out. He wasn't about to tell them any time soon. He wasn't even sure he wanted to go back to that same spot in the tunnel ever again.

"_I can't think like that!_" he thought furiously, spearing his food with his fork a little too aggressively. "_If I refuse to go back because of the possibility that I may be humiliated again is pure cowardice! I can't let this girl run around like she owns the place. She's nothing but a thorn in my side. If only I could find a way to get rid of her for good…I can't believe it's taken me this long._"

Pride had dealt with humans dozens of times stronger than her in the past, so, what was so special about this one, little girl? Why couldn't he cut her down? These were questions he shouldn't have to think about.

"Selim, that's no way to act at the table." Mrs. Bradley said sternly.

Pride looked up at her, realizing that she had been watching as he vigorously stabbed and ate his dinner in anger.

He swallowed hard and took a deep breath.

"_I need to calm down. I can't let this get the best of me…again._" He thought, trying to take control of the situation.

"S-sorry mother…" he said quietly, feigning innocence.

She smiled at him, her green eyes twinkling. She was getting to be an older woman, and wrinkles had begun to invade the soft skin of her face. However, there was still something graceful and inviting about her. Pride felt himself smile in return, without even having to think about pretending to do it.

Sometimes the way he acted around his 'mother' disturbed him, but he tried not to let it bother him too much. After all, he was only acting as a son; Wrath was the one who had to act as this woman's husband. That must have been the more difficult of the two positions. As Pride watched Wrath and his wife interact, he could almost swear that he could detect a hint of actual happiness radiating from his fellow homunculus. Perhaps, he felt some sort of affection for her as well.

At least then, he wasn't the _only_ one.

He finished eating dinner with his mother as Wrath was still at work in Central Command. Often times he did not come back until very late. Pride figured that since she would be alone otherwise, he would humor his mother by letting her read to him for a while before he was sent off the bed.

He sat on the soft couch next to his mother and looked on as she read to him out of an anthology of old fairytales. As she read 'Little Red Riding Hood' to him, his mind returned to the girl and her red hair. Like Little red with the wolf…she had been able to outsmart him and avoid falling prey to his jaws…ohhh how he loathed her.

"Selim, honey, what are you doing?" his mother asked. He looked up at her worried gaze, then down to his hands. He was gripping the couch cushion so tightly that his knuckles were turning white.

"_Damn, again!_" he thought, letting his hands go slack. He was making his displeasure much too obvious. He needed to get a hold of himself.

"Sorry mother. I was just thinking about something…I didn't realize I was doing that." He said. He wasn't completely lying…

Mrs. Bradley eyes him suspiciously and closed the book. "You've been acting up more than usual today Selim…" she said, "Maybe you should go to bed early."

"B-but I want to wait until father gets home!" he said.

"No buts. Off to bed with you, I think you need some rest." She said, ending the argument once and for all as all mothers reserve the right to do.

Pride decided to comply and allowed his mother to escort him upstairs, saying 'goodnight' to all the maids on the way.

He allowed Mrs. Bradley to kiss him on the cheek and tuck him in and turn out his light before leaving his door open just a crack so that the hallway light could faintly illuminate his room. He smirked. As if _he_ was afraid of the dark. The dark might as well have been afraid of _him_.

As he lay there, staring up at the ceiling of his room, he narrowed his eyes. "_Now…what to do about the girl…_" he thought. Rather than allow himself to forget, he decided to come up with a better plan to exterminate the little nuisance. He was sure their paths would cross again, and he wanted the next time to be the _last time_. He would not lose his cool because of her again. That he promised himself.

Perhaps one of the next few nights he could slip out and make his way through the tunnels. Father had told him earlier that he need not patrol for a few days since Sloth was still digging parts of it.

So, for now, he would 'enjoy' his life as the Fuhrer's son and secretly come up with his plan to get rid of the red haired girl. It was all he could do really… Until the 'Promised Day' that Father had told him so much about came around, he wouldn't have that much to do.

As excited as he was for the Promised Day, and all the power that came with it, he almost pitied Mrs. Bradley. All the humans in the country of Amestris would be sacrificed…including her. There was no way around it, so he would just enjoy the company she provided for as long as he was allowed.

Even though he was a _monster_, he still had a family to come home to; even if it wasn't completely 'real'.

And sometimes, it wasn't such a bad thing.


End file.
